Month: March 2013

This is our last visit to our Haifa apartment as we just sold it to a nice Israeli couple. We have owned it for close to 10 years and it has served us well. Now its time to move on and down (South). Haifa was our chosen destination since Hannan’s parents lived here, but now they are both gone and each visit we find ourselves driving south to the Tel Aviv area. So, our next Israeli home ownership will be more centrally located. We look forward to finding someplace wonderful for at least the next 10 years.

Since we are busy celebrating Passover and cleaning out our apartment, this week’s email will be brief but birthday-laden.

But I would like to mention that lately we’ve been trying to provide various (and meaningful) opportunities to those who live near us. It is immensely rewarding to help expand the reach of organizations which touch our hearts. There has been much research to support the fact that Doing Good Feels Good. So we appreciate your past and future support/involvement with the several events we have invited (or will invite) you to attend, including, Forgotten Harvest, Joint Distribution Committee/Taub Center, Detroit Public TV, Michigan League of Conservation Voters and American Jewish World Service. It may sound corny, but we truly see these invites as a gift of opportunity for our friends. We hope they are received in that same nature.

Also, please enjoy one of my favorite sayings by Tom Krause, then its onto the birthdays

Watch your thoughts…
… for they become words.
Watch your words…
… for they become actions.
Watch your actions…
… for they become habits.
Watch your habits…
… for they become character.
Watch your character…
…for it becomes your destiny.

Spring has sprung, but here in Michigan, Father Time forgot to tell Mother Nature. It seems Winter has decided to take hold and stay for awhile.

March also brings Women’s History Month so there’s no better time to recognize the centennial of the very first march down Pennsylvania Ave with 5,000 strong and brave women requesting a Women’s Right to Vote.

The Gazans also “welcomed” Obama to the neighborhood by shooting two rockets into Israel just as he was planning a visit to the West Bank.

Personally, flowers would have been a more appropriate gesture but apparently peaceful offerings are not in their arsenal of welcoming gifts.

I’m still hoping this visit can bring some positive outcomes for our beloved Eretz Yisrael.

Among security and peace, one additional concern for both Israelis and Americans is the fate of Jonathan Pollard. The average prison sentence for spying for a friendly country (Israel and USA are BFFs) is five years. Pollard got LIFE with the courthouse steps promise by the prosecutor that “Pollard will never be freed”. Why such a harsh penalty? There was something fishy going on when he was tried and sentenced. President Shimon Peres will present President Barak Obama a (200,000 signatured) petition asking for Pollard’s clemency. Every President before him has also been asked to no avail. Hopes are not high for his release, but truth of his treatment deserves transparency.

After 10 years, $2.2 Trillion, 4,000 US military deaths, 35,000 US military injuries and 165,000 Iraqi deaths, how will the history books asses the Iraq War? What was accomplished? An evil dictator is gone. One down, but so many still exist. With Saddam’s absence comes a stronger relationship with their Eastern neighbor, Iran. That can’t be good for us. Will this war teach us any lessons for the future. I hope so…

Mazel Tov (not sure how to say “congrats” in the Adawa language) to

Tim LaCroix and Gene Barfield on the (first same-sex) marriage performed by the Northern Michigan Native American Tribe. Though, currently, our State doesn’t recognize the union, hopefully sometime in the near future, our State will add their name to the long and growing list of Marriage Equality supporters.

Though the Mormon Church preaches compassion toward people with same-sex attraction, they forbid action on that attraction. My extensive knowledge of their beliefs are due mainly to the hilarious show, Book of Mormon, which we saw at the Fisher Theatre last weekend. It’s only here for a few more days, so if you don’t get a chance, here is a snippet of the show from last year’s Tony Awards: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OKkLV1zE8M0

Also, I highly recommend the new documentary by (Ann Arbor raised) esteemed documentarian, Ken Burns, called “The Central Park Five” showing this weekend at the Ann Arbor Film Festival (aafilmfest.org/51). The film showcases the egregious and racially motivate wrongful conviction of 5 innocent boys in the Central Park Jogger Case in the late 80s. Though I haven’t seen the film myself, I heard the interview on NPR and the story sounds powerful and infuriating. PBS will also premier the film for the Television audience on April 16th.

Condolence to the Colorado Prison Chief as he was gunned down when he simply went to answer his front door. This occurred hours before the Colorado governor announced stricter gun control measures for his State.

Our Spring Cleaning holiday is almost here. We are abiding by our famous saying of “Next year in Jerusalem” and we’ll be breaking matzah with Hannan’s family in Israel (with daughter and son-in-law Ariella and Tzvi and son, Aviv). We arrive long after Obama departs (a whole 48 hours). There have always been two camps (Ashkenazi and Sephardi) when it comes to what we can and can’t eat during Passover. Here is what I have heard. We are NOT suppose to eat wheat, barley, rye, spelt or oats in any of our foods during Passover. THOUGH, we can only use those 5 grains to make our Matzah. THOUGH, some won’t eat rice, millet, corn and legumes (like beans and lentils) because when ground up, they could APPEAR like those forbidden grains, BUT they are NOT forbidden. Now that you are totally confused, I wish you and your family a wonderful, inspiring, entertaining Seder and an enjoyable Passover holiday.

Please join us at on Wednesday April 24th (7:00pm) at the Maple Theater for the Film Premiere of Eli’s Story (about Eliezer Ayalon, the inspiring Holocaust surviver who passed away last year). This event will benefit Holocaust Survivors and their families at Jewish Senior Life. Please contact Renee Fein at rfein@jslmi.org or 248-592-5082

Two Jewish Community Rock Stars will converge on June 12th at Adat Shalom as (Rock Star 1) Patti Aaron will receive a well deserved honor from Jewish Community Relations Council and (Rock Star 2) Ruth Messinger (from American Jewish World Service) will be the guest speaker.

A white puff of smoke emerged from the Sistine Chapel on Wednesday announcing the selection of the new Pope. Mazel Tov and good luck to Pope Francis I. That’s Francis The First as this Pope (the first from Argentina who by the way loves soccer) has chosen a name that has never been used before. Does this send a message that his Papacy will bring on a new era for Catholics in this century? By the way, during his first day as Pope, he invited the Chief Rabbi of Rome to his inauguration and suggested efforts for future collaboration. Also, the Jewish Community in Argentina had a friendly relationship with him during his cardinal days in Buenos Aires. Refreshing hope is on the horizon.

Bravo to US Attorney (and friend) Barb McQuade and the Jury for finding Kwame Kilpatrick and Bobby Ferguson guilty of “ripping off” the businesses and residents of the City of Detroit. Barb said it best “Candidates should seek public office to make a difference, not to make money for themselves.”

Absolutely, positively NOTHING can stay the same. We live in a world that is in a constant state of change. It is better to accept that fact than fight it. The City Council of Detroit must accept the fact that things must drastically change in order for things to drastically improve. Fighting against the Emergency Manager (which is necessary due to the decades of total disregard for the well-being of City) is futile. We can not have a Great State without a Great City.

Warning, dear friends, these next two issues will be a bit Left leaning.

Yes, we need to cut our Federal Spending. Yes, we also need to increase our Federal Income (by eliminating the tax avoiding loopholes). A compromise to balance our budget is Overdue. Unwarranted (across the board) cuts will only lead to disastrous effects to our society.

Here are a few Sequestration Cuts to be concerned about:
$1.6 Billion from Air Traffic Security and Air Traffic Control
$700 Million from Disaster Relief (FEMA)
$500 Million from Disease Control
$300 Million from Food and Drug Safety (FDA)
$300 Million from Mental Health Service (our leading cause of mass killings)
$1.1 Billion from Scientific Research
$79 Million from Embassy Security (great way to protect another Benghazi)
$2.6 Billion from Education Programs (US kids are ranked 25th in Math among other nations)
$2.8 Billion from National Institutes of Health
$2.5 Billion from Section 8 Rental Assistance

Hydraulic Fracturing can be devastating to our environment. It is a method used to extract gas and petroleum from rock by drilling pressurized fluids into the subterrarium layers of (Mother) Earth. This action can cause Ground Water Contamination, Risk to Air Pollution and surface contamination from spills and back-flow. In other words, Water, Ground and Air pollution. Some countries like France have already banned the practice. Yoko Ono and Sean Lennon teamed up with friends to create this catchy video requesting States to “Please Don’t Frack My Mother“.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zeldweayF8

Instead of 168 hours next week, we will only experience 167 as we lose one this Sunday morning when we “spring” our clocks forward at 2:00am to return to Daylights Saving Time.

An enormous debt of gratitude is due Senator Carl Levin for the (over) Four Decades of Civil Servant work he pursued with his dedication and commitment to our City of Detroit, our State of Michigan, our United States of America and his advocacy to the State of Israel. I’m sure this decision not to run for another term weighed heavy on him and his family but we are grateful for his 44 years of energy and for the next two years to continue his passions.

So long, Hugo (Chavez) of Venezuela. Condolences to your friends and family. Choosing your friends sends a clear message about your personality and reputation and these were a few of Hugo’s actual friend: Fidel Castro, Bashar al-Assad, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Sean Pen, Jesse Jackson Jr., Oliver Stone, Jimmy Carter and Noam Chomsky. I’m sure Dennis Rodman would have been friends too as he “choses his friends” so wisely.

When you’re hoping something will be true, skepticism sometimes flies out the window. During Israel Hate Week, I really wanted the Rolling Stones story to be true, but alas, it was actually a Purim Hoax. Too many artist (like Jon Bon Jovi, The Yardbirds, Stevie Wonder, Roger Waters and Elvis Costello) have cancelled performances in Israel yet (aside from the Rolling Stones), many high profile entertainers (like Sir Paul McCartney, Sir Elton John, Rihanna and Madonna) aren’t swayed by boycott supporters and happily visit, support and entertain the Israeli public.

Music should be a cultural connector like it is for the 58th annual Eurovision Contest where the theme is equality and unity among the diverse cultural participants. Our friend, Michael HarPaz is a finalized for the Israeli representative with this beautiful song about his mother, Norma, who just away this year.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NHFENIj8AUs

Within a few days we should discover who our Detroit Emergency Manager will be. Mayor Dave Bing understands that for decades we (both Detroiters and Suburbanites) have allowed our beloved city to deteriorate from Flight, Corruption, Greed, Inadequate Leadership… and it is time to move forward and re-direct the ship. The NY Times had it right, we are a Tale of Two Cities. We are moving in the right direction but a major overhal needs to take place and hopefully the EM can turn our tides.

As we continue to see the Dow rise each day this week, hope also rises that this indicator plus our decreasing Unemployment Rate are true signs of better times to come. Hopefully sequestration effects won’t hamper this optimism but certainly a compromise in Congress would be welcomed with open arms to add to our optimism.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

SOAP BOX

A HUGE Mazel Tov to our dear friend, Nathan Elyakin, on becoming a Bar Mitzvah this weekend. We love you and your family. Can’t wait to see Ariella, Tzvi, Tzachi, Shimon, Sarah, The Giblin and Elyakin Crew and other family/friends coming in from out of town.

Condolences to the family and friends of Irwin Alterman on this passing this week. We are grateful for his commitment and dedication to the well being our Detroit Community.

Condolences to the family of Marcia Seigerman and Deborah Anstandig on the passing of Mother/Grandmother, Arlene Beals. May her memory bring comfort to those in mourning.

Thank you to the friends who attended our Forgotten Harvest event this week. Your presence and support are greatly appreciated. If you missed it and want info, please click here: http://www.forgottenharvest.org/ and join us for their April 27th fundraiser with Martin Short.

Please join me at the home of Treger Strasberg for the Women for Peters event on Sunday March 17th (1:00-3:00pm). To RSVP or for more info, please contact elisa@petersforcongress.com or (248) 799-0850

If you want a wonderful gift to bring to a Seder Host (or just for yourself), please consider (cookbook/survivor stories) Recipes Remembered, A Celebration of Survival by June Hersh. This week we were fortunate to hear June’s stories of collecting the recipes and interviewing the survivors (and their families). June’s impassioned message was moving and inspirational and I highly recommend hearing her if she comes to your neighborhood.

I try very hard to keep my info accurate, but it has come to my attention that the Rolling Stones Israel Concert info MIGHT be a Purim Hoax. I have searched the web and I’m still perplex at the accuracy.

Dear Israeli friends on this list, please let me know the truth about the Rolling Stones and I will correct it in next week’s Shabbat message.

As we in Michigan were dodging snow flakes on Wednesday, those in Ashkelon, Israelwere dodging a rocket which thankfully fell on an open field. I know our winter blizzard was a top News Story, but, somehow, I missed the news media’s coverage of the rocket.

As we approach the 9th Annual Israeli Apartheid Week (aka. Israel Hate Week), gratitude should be showered upon the Rolling Stones for snubbing the misguided BDS(Boycott, Divestment, Sanction) activists who unsuccessfully tried to prevent Israeli fans from enjoying the sights and sounds of Mick and his buddies in celebration ofIsrael’s 65th birthday. Not only did Mick ignore the pressure, he added a 2nd concert, which of course sold out immediately.

Speaking of BDS, maybe those who consider Israel an apartheid state should check out the rapidly growing Israeli Soda Stream Company and their inclusive work environment. Their factory is like a United Nations, though, unlike the real UN, these ethnic and religious representatives actually respect each other. Check out this eye opening video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zl85AL1l0H0

It was another first for Rosa Parks this week as she is the First Black Womento permanently grace the halls of the US Congress with the placement of her immortalizing 9-foot bronze statue. It is fittingly in a seated position as that simple act (now taken for granted) helped fuel the changes needed over 1/2 century ago.

He sported a Lincoln Beard, kept our county healthy and became the most famous Surgeon General. Condolences to the family of C. Everett Koop on his passing this week at the age of 96. Koop is responsible for elevating the health concerns of tobacco and in 1984 was quoted as recommending to “create a smoke-free society in the United States by the year 2000.” Though we have improved, we still have much progress to achieve with our Smoke-Free country.

Yes, they are never short for a Minyan in Hollywood and many of those working in the industry have a Yiddish Soul, but a percentage of those Billion Oscar viewers last Sunday, who already think Jews control the world, were given more fuel for their bias views from a small animated brown bear named Ted. I liked Seth MacFarlane‘s hosting style, but this one sketch lacked global forethought.

By the way, you’ll never find an Oscar for sale or at auction, because, since 1950, all winners (and their heirs in perpetuity) have been required to sign an agreement to never sell the statuette unless they offer The Academy first dibs for $1.

Although the Israeli documentary The GateKeepers (testimony of 6 Israeli “Secret Service” chairmen ) didn’t win the Oscar, the prize did go to our Detroit story of singer-songwriter, Rodriguez, who unbeknownst to him, had a 30 year following by South African diehard fans who thought he was dead. Bravo to the NOW Oscar winning documentary Searching for Sugar Man.

Kol Hakavod (bravo) to the First Jewish Oligarch, Victor Pinchuk from the Ukraine (a former Soviet Union nation) to sign the Giving Pledge (created by Bill Gates) which Very Rich People (VRPs) commit to distributing a majority of their vast wealth to philanthropic causes. Other notable signers are: Michael Bloomberg, Warren Buffet, George Lucas and our very own Detroiters, Dan and Jennifer Gilbert. To see photos and quotes from all the signers, check out this website: http://givingpledge.org/

Kudos to the Schusterman Families for establishing the new Israel Institute housed in Washington DC which will catapult the Study of Modern Israel (both in the US and around the world). The interest level to study Modern Israel has increased substantially as research has shown that within the last 7 years there has been a 70% increase of Modern Israeli courses taught at Universities and Colleges. For more info, please check out their website: http://israelinstitute.org/

Congrats to Lon Johnson and Bobby Schostak on winning their elections to represent Michigan’s Democratic and Republican parties (respectively). To impact the important issues concerning our Great State, I hope they are able to encourage legislators to findCommon Ground rather than stubbornly Stand their Ground. A more serious space where Common Ground is desperately needed is inside the Beltway. The US public is exhausted with this stalemate and deserve some progress on our debt debacle. The affects of sequestration most be prevented. BUT, thanks ARE due to Congress (this week) for the passage of the reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act.

Wishing you and your loved ones a Sweet and Peaceful Shabbat Shalom,

Lisa

P.S. Many have asked if I am up Friday mornings at 6:00am (Det. time) to send these emails. Well, no. I write and edit them throughout the week and send the final version to my system Thursday evening to be scheduled anytime I choose. So, as of this moment (Thursday evening), I don’t know WHO our Detroit Emergency Manager is, but we do anticipate a new era for our beloved and struggling city.

SOAP BOX

Mazel Tov to Linda Hurwitz on her nomination as JFNA Campaign Chair.

Mazel Tov to the Orley Family on the engagement of Matthew and Samantha. May their lives together be filled with health, happiness, peace and prosperity.

Farewell to Pope Benedict XVI as he says “Ciao” to his followers and the world, leaving his Red Shoes (which represents the blood of martyrs) and his sacred ring (which will be destroyed by a special sliver hammer).

Condolences to the family of friends of Cassandra Woods, a women who dedicated her life to the well-being of Michigan residents at the office of Senator Carl Levin.

Please join the Women For Congressman Peters EventSunday March 17th1:00-3:00pm
The Home of Treger Strasberg
RSVP and for directions:
(248) 799-0850 or at elisa@petersforcongress.com

If you haven’t seen it already or even if you have, it’s worth a 2nd viewing. Please attend the March 12th presentation of the Documentary Transforming Loss at the Berman Center (West Bloomfield JCC) with proceeds benefiting the The Jewish Hospice and Chaplaincy Network. Our dear friend, Liz Guz, in featured in the film and my High School classmate, Judith Burdick is the Director.
For tickets and more info: 248-592-2687 or www.jewishhospice.org/grandwomen